Since 2022, CoST has supported partners in Colombia to strengthen transparency, participation, and accountability in public infrastructure investment, beginning with the cities of Bogotá and Santiago de Cali joining the initiative. Both cities received Honourable Mentions under the Open Government Partnership Open Gov Challenge 2025, recognising institutional reforms that are opening up how infrastructure projects are planned, delivered, and monitored.

Despite growing infrastructure investment, Colombia faces persistent challenges related to public trust, market competition, and the complexity of coordinating large numbers of contracting entities. In this context, sub-national governments such as Bogotá and Cali are playing a critical role in demonstrating how transparency reforms, anchored in citizen priorities and supported by the CoST approach, can strengthen oversight, improve procurement practices, and rebuild confidence in public infrastructure spending.

This impact story shows how Bogotá and Cali have used the CoST approach to scale data publication, design citizen-facing tools, and embed multi-stakeholder governance — delivering practical improvements in how infrastructure projects are monitored and helping to lay the foundations for more accountable and inclusive infrastructure development in Colombia.